forgetting you
by somagicole
Summary: 21st Century girl Rukia is magically transported back in time to Feudal Japan where she is to be a servant to the cold and mysterious Emperor Kuchiki Byakuya. Rukia must face the culture shock of being in a new time while also struggling with a jealous empress, visions about the future, and her growing feelings for the Emperor himself.


_**Chapter I**_

 **Put** yourself in her circumstances. She was a mere babe when she was abandoned on the front porch of an orphanage many years ago, she was unwanted since birth.

She had to grow in an orphanage that was in desperate need of repairs, the building was overpopulated with hopeful children all wishing for the day their new guardians would walk through that slanted threshold.

The caretakers were less than kind for they had worried themselves cruel over the prospects of their patrons. There was simply no room, no time, nor money for happiness to grow in the orphanage's walls.

Rukia is now seventeen, her heart heavy with the weight of all she had endured. All wishes to be adopted into a loving family have all but vanished from his mind as she quickly approaches her eighteenth birthday. Rukia is no fool, she knows as soon as the clock strikes midnight and she officially turns eighteen years old; she will be kicked out of the orphanage and left to fend for herself without any money or prospects for a good future.

She felt a chill crawl down her spine at the mere thought.

Rukia could not conjure up a single idea of how she would survive without the support of the orphanage. She was already steeling herself for the many days where her stomach would go empty.

What a terrible life she was bestowed.

However Rukia was no victim, no, the many years spent fighting for crumbs off dinner plates and thin torn blankets for sleep has thickened her skin, made her into a survivor. Although she didn't have much to hope for, Rukia knew deep down that she would make it through somehow.

Rukia toed the pebbles lining the docks and looked out to the vast blueness of the ocean, she closed her eyes and let the sea breeze wrap around her as if it were a comforting blanket, or a hug from a friend.

She had often dreamed of stowing away on one of the cargo ships resided in the docks, she dreamed of far off places where orphanages didn't exist and there was plenty of food so that no one went to bed hungry.

Rukia felt her eyes slowly flutter open, and she directed her violet gaze to the night sky where the star were drowning in the infinite blackness.

"In my next life" Rukia spoke gently, weighing the words on her tongue, "Please make me a bird so that I can fly wherever I please, so that I'll have a nest I can always return to, so that there will always be bread crumbs for me to eat"

The next day, Rukia didn't bother fighting for the leftover porridge for breakfast. She, however, was quick enough to swipe a bowl for Ururu who was far too docile to fight for her portion of breakfast. With her impending homeless situation looming over her like a storm cloud, Rukia has decided to spend the entire day job hunting. She knew she would have to save up a good sum of money if she ever hoped of entering a university one day.

She had hopes that she would at least find a couple paying jobs, Rukia thought herself a sturdy young woman who could definitely handle any task thrown her way.

The orphan awaited for the next bus to take her deeper into the city when a homeless man took a seat next to her on the bench, he leaned back tiredly, his head lolling with exhaustion.

"Excuse me sir" Rukia tapped his shoulder, "Are you alright?"

"Hungry" He muttered almost incoherently

"I know the feeling" Rukia said to herself quietly, before digging into her pocket for the loose bills she had been saving up for months for her favorite ice cream treat. She looked down at the money hesitantly before standing up and striding over to a nearby food vendor. Rukia dutifully paid for the simple sandwich and walked back over to the man, "Excuse me sir?"

He weakly opened his eyes and glanced down at the sandwich Rukia was offering with a small smile, "No one should go hungry"

He blinked in shock before bowing, "Thank you, thank you so much miss"

"You're welcome Rukia grinned and placed the sandwich in his hands before turning away

"Miss!" Rukia swiveled around, "You will find great happiness in your next life"

Rukia felt herself grin, she waved goodbye to the man before turning back to the bus stop.

"Nel! No!" Sudden cries caused Rukia to turn quickly at the sight of an older woman crying out to her daughter who ran out in the middle of a busy street, captivated by a stray balloon floating away.

Without a moment of hesitation, Rukia ran after the girl, ignoring the blaring sound of horns honking at her angrily. Rukia reached down and grabbed the little girl's hand, "Hey! You can't just run out into the middle of the street like that!"

"Balloon!" She babbled happily, pointing at the bright red balloon caught on a streetlight

"C'mon" Rukia replied exasperatedly, "Let's get you back to your mom"

"HEY! WATCH OUT!" The older woman screamed hysterically, pointing to a car that was barreling towards them at dangerous speeds without any intention of slowing.

A heart beat.

The screech of brakes.

A sharp inhale.

Rukia pushed the little girl out of the way roughly, sending her sprawling away.

"NOOO!"

Then the flash of headlights…

Before utter darkness.

-8-

 _She saw flashes, glimpses of people she didn't know, places too foreign to recognize._

 _A palace, rich in colors of reds and golds with accents of jade._

 _The glint of a bejeweled dagger, hidden under a sleeve_

 _A woman with a cunning smile and eyes that flashed gold._

 _A tea cup, falling to the floor and shattering into a billon broken pieces._

 _An infant, with eyes identical to her own, blinking up at her with curiosity_

 _the clash of swords, a man falling to his knees, his white headband stained with liquid crimson_

 _A man, a man with black hair that fell gently over his shoulders. A man who looked back at her with a steel gray gaze, his lips uttering words that she couldn't quite grasp…words she didn't understand._

 _"_ _I am your person now, Rukia"_

 _"_ _I am your person now…._

 _"_ _I am…_

-8-

Rukia's eyes shot open with a loud gasp.

She pulled herself up, her back ramrod straight as she took in her unfamiliar surroundings…. _Where I am?_

 _Is this the afterlife?_

"Rukia-san!" A voice drenched in worry rang out, a young woman dressed in a traditional yukata fell to her knees next to her. Her eyes large and swimming with concern, "Oh Rukia-san, I'm so glad you're awake"

"Where…" Rukia looked around in confusion, her brow knitting, "Am I?"

The girl bowed her head, "Rukia-san…

"Who are you?" Rukia felt a wave of panic wash over her like a tidal wave

"Oh no" The girl scrubbed away the tears that welled in her eyes, "You don't remember? You've must've lost your memory"

"My memory?" Rukia shook her head and stood quickly, she felt her balance wobble momentarily much to the protest of the girl. Rukia looked around urgently, trying to recall if she had any memory of this place.

"Rukia-san!" The girl called out in distress, watching as Rukia began to walk hastily towards the door, "Where are you going?"

She wasn't actually quite sure where she was going, Rukia just had to get out of that room; she felt as if they walls were caving in, as if she was suffocating. Rukia raced down the corridor, the pounding of her heart increasing with every step. She could faintly hear the sound of the girl calling her name behind her, but Rukia couldn't stop, she had to get out, had to go…

Rukia collided with a wall, and she felt herself bounce backwards and fall directly on her bum. "Ouch!" She exclaimed holding her throbbing forehead and that when Rukia noticed a pair of feet directly in front of her, "Hey! watch where…you're…um…uh…"

She slowly looked up, a sense of dread rising in her belly as she saw exactly what…or _who_ she ran into. In front of her stood a man, Rukia couldn't help the notice the grandeur of his kimono, the gold of his hair piece, this man was obviously one of great importance. He was an impressive figure with a towering height and a steel gray gaze, everything about him was sharp and solid from the sculpted features of his pale face to the broadness of his shoulders.

Something about him seemed achingly familiar.

 _"_ _I am your person now, Rukia"_

A sharp throbbing pain invaded her temples, Rukia let out a small whimper as she waited for the pain to subside.

The girl who had chased Rukia down the hallway let out a horrified gasp upon seeing whom exactly Rukia ran into. She fell into a proper bow next to Rukia, her head down so low that her nose touched the floor, "Your Majesty, my deepest apologies! Rukia-san is overcome with illness and memory loss. Punish me instead for my incompetence for not taking care of her better!"

Rukia blinked in confusion, her eyes flickering from the man to the young woman. Indifference painted the man's expression and he simply walked past the two of them, only stopping to send a cold look in Rukia's direction, "I will pardon your insolence, next time, however, I will not be so forgiving"

Rukia's mouth fell open in shock, _this guy is really…_

The two girls watched the man disappear down the hallway with servants following behind him before looking towards each other.

"Rukia-san" Her shoulders dropped in relief, "We could've got in very big trouble! We're lucky that the emperor is such a forgiving man"

"The emperor?" Rukia gaped, looking back to perhaps catch a fleeting glimpse of the man, _"Him?"_

"Of course Rukia-san" She nodded carefully, "That is Emperor Byakuya Kuchiki, don't you remember?"

Rukia cringed and thought back to the history classes she took in school, _Byakuya Kuchiki…Byakuya Kuchiki…Emperor Byakuya Kuchiki_. Rukia cursed herself not being able to remember simple facts on Japan's history, all she knew for certain was that she somehow time traveled back to medieval Japan.

"You said you don't remember me?" A soft voice cut through Rukia's string of thoughts, "My name is Inoue Orihime, I've been your servant since we were small children"

"My servant?" Rukia repeated before looking downward in shame, "That must be a horrible life"

"I don't mind it!" Orihime insisted with a large smile splitting her face, "I've always loved serving you Rukia-san!"

"I'm sorry Inoue-san" Rukia replied sadly, "I don't remember anything"

Orihime smiled kindly, "No worries Rukia-san, I will answer any questions you have"

-8-

Tamiko smiled demurely, the light of the candles are reflected in blackness of her irises. With deft fingers, she reached up and removes the jewel encrusted hairpin that held her silky black tresses, allowing her locks to blanket her shoulders and frame her thin face.

There was no denying her beauty. She was a definite image of royalty, with fair unmarred skin and the gentle way she held her shoulders back in a powerful yet feminine posture. Every bone, every drop of blood that ran through her body was carefully conditioned to be the perfect wife, to be an empress and hold that title until she took her last breath.

Tamiko was bred for this lifestyle, from the moment her mother and father discovered they had birthed a baby girl they had set in motion a plan of grandeur levels to put her on the throne next to the emperor. If they could not have a son who would bring the family name honor through militaristic endeavors and glory, they would have a daughter who would, one day, birth the heir to the empire.

Byakuya wondered what type of person Tamiko might have been if her family didn't teach her that her self worth was dependent on who she married and how quickly she produced an heir. Would she smile without worry? Make comments that may have seem inappropriate or brash for a lady of her status? Would she live a life where she wasn't consumed by her overwhelming desire to hold power, to bring honor upon herself and family, to be remembered as one of the timeless empresses of Japan?

"Byakuya-sama" Tamiko's sweet voice cut through his troubling string of thoughts, "May I be so bold to ask what's on your mind"

"Of course not, you are my wife are you not?" Byakuya replied simply, bringing his steaming cup of tea to his lips to take a gradual sip

A flush of red heat colored Tamiko's cheeks, there was something absolutely gratifying about hearing Byakuya reaffirm their martial status, her importance in his life, "Of course, I just didn't want to seem forward"

"I was thinking about the growing uneasiness in the Highlands" Byakuya said, his voice takes a serious note, "I am not ready to spill blood on my reign as emperor"

"Byakuya-sama, you've had the longest time of peace on record" Tamiko gave him a reassuring smile, "There is nothing wrong with taking necessary measures in order to ensure the security of your empire"

The emperor stared at his wife for a moment, it was curious that Tamiko always said exactly what was expected of her without an audience. Then again, Byakuya knew that Tamiko was always hiding her true self behind a mask of carefully constructed responses and smiles.

Tamiko looked up at him with her dark eyes, an inquiring gleam in their darkness, "I head one of your attendants has fallen ill, do you have plans to get receive a new servant?"

"Indeed" Byakuya gave a single nod, "Ito-san's health has declined considerably, so I sent her back home to be with her children. Her replacement has arrived today and she will begin her duties tomorrow"

"How interesting" Tamiko commented, "I hope she does well as your attendant"

"If she falls to meet my standards she can be easily replaced" Byakuya replied simply

"Of course" Tamiko agreed with a grin

-8-

Rukia listened carefully, hanging off of Orihime's every word as she retold a brief history of the palace and emperor himself. She could recall certain facts and trivia about this era that she learned in history class at school, however relying on Orihime's knowledge seemed a lot more reliable than foggy memories of high school history class with the monotonous Mr. Hamada.

"Wow" Rukia leaned back and cupped her chin thoughtfully, "You paint the emperor a pretty picture"

"He is quite handsome and heroic isn't he?" Orihime giggled dreamily

"I don't know Inoue-san" Rukia gave a nonchalant shrug, "He seemed pretty stoic to me"

"That's because he takes ruling the empire very, very seriously" Orihime nodded, "If he smiled all the time, no one would be scared of him!"

Rukia quirked a dark brow, "I don't think anyone has trouble being scared of him, and he looks like he hasn't smiled in ages"

"Shh" Orihime shook her head, "You mustn't say such negative things about the emperor"

"Well he isn't _my_ emperor" Rukia replied haughtily

"Rukia-san!" Orihime gasped, reaching over and grasping her shoulders, "You can't say that! You speak of treason!"

"Easy there Inoue-san" Rukia chuckled, "I promise I'm not planning treason. So what's my role in this palace?"

"Well" Orihime gives a sad sigh, "The reason you're here is your adopted Aunt Mai has been in very poor health and is unable to take care of you, so she sent you here to serve in the palace"

"My Aunt Mai?" Rukia repeats incredulously

Orihime nods sympathetically, "She is a noblewoman from the Highlands and feared for your safety because of the rebellion going on there so she sent you here to serve as a palace attendant. It's a very high honor, I'm so glad the emperor accepted you into the palace"

"I was very fortunate that I was able to accompany you to the palace" Orihime gave a sigh, "Though I don't know how long I will be able to stay with you"

"But you said there was a rebellion happening in the Highlands" Rukia protests, "You can't go back there!"

"Oh Rukia-san" Orihime threw her arms around her smaller friend, "You're so kind to me even if you don't remember who I am"

Rukia blinked incredulously and hugged her new friend back before slumping over, a concerned look overcoming her delicate features, "Hey Inoue-san? I don't know anything about being a palace attendant"

"Oh" Orihime waved her hand dismissively, "There is no need to worry Rukia-san! It's a fairly easy job"

There was a knock on the door, interrupting the duo's conversation, "Excuse me, I am here for Rukia-san"

"That must the palace attendant that is going to train you" Orihime whispered excitedly before turning her head to the door, "You may come in now!"

The door slid open to reveal a small girl, just a couple inches taller than Rukia herself with her brunette locks pulled back into a neat pun on top of her head. She entered the room with a smile on her face, her eyes finding Rukia, "Hello Rukia-san, I'm Hinamori Momo! I'm here to show you around the palace and teach you how to perform your duties"

"Okay" Rukia nodded obediently and stood before looking to Orihime with a slight smile, "Wish me luck"

"You're awesome Rukia-san!" Orihime clapped determinedly, "You can do it!"

Rukia sweat dropped at her friend's theatrics before following Momo out of the room, the two walked down the corridor together, before the brunette turned to her, "You must be so happy"

"Huh?" Rukia cocked her head in confusion

"To be a palace attendant" Momo reminded her with an exasperated grin

"Oh!" Rukia nodded quickly, "So happy"

"It is a great honor to serve the emperor himself" Momo mused happily

"Yeah…wait did you say the emperor?" Rukia stopped in her tracks, looking at Momo inquisitively

"Of course" Momo replied easily, "Ito-san succumbed to her illness so she could no longer serve the emperor, but don't worry it's not too difficult to serve the emperor"

Rukia shook her head adamantly, "I shouldn't be the one serving the emperor"

"Don't worry Rukia-san" Momo patted her should reassuringly, "The emperor has three attendants: you, myself, and Kiyone-san so you won't have to handle all of the duties by yourself!"

Rukia smiled although it felt more like a grimace, her brain was currently going haywire as she tried to process everything that was happening. Once moment she was facing certain death with a car barreling towards her and now she was somehow living through the trials and tribulations of feudal Japan.

This could not be happening.

This had to be some crazy trauma induced dream and she would wake up any moment. There was no way—no logical, scientific way—that she could time travel. It was a thing of fiction, she could remember reading such silly things in storybooks as a child.

For now, Rukia would grin and bear it, until she woke up and forget this whole entire ordeal.

* * *

 **author: *blows a kiss to the sky* for byaruki**


End file.
